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Blythe Dolls

October 2014

October 23, 2014

"What is this?" you ask. It's Junior's requested new hair color, of course. It's actually what I bought at stitches in the form of roving to transform a lovely Julia Hilbrandt bag. Sorry, you'll have to wait to see it because the pictures aren't great.

October 21, 2014

I've finally started a Ravelry group! I've wanted to for ages but after several negative knitting experiences over the past year I just shied away from it. I'm trying to chalk them up to experience, as they say, but jeez they really made me realize how awful seemingly "good" people can be. Luckily, I have solid friends who are supportive. Anyway, last night when I woke at 2am and couldn't fall back asleep, I created a couple of banners, one for my group and one for an advertisement for Loop that I've studiosly been "not doing."

I finally decided to create the Ravelry group because I was so surprised and gratified at Stitches and Rhinebeck when I discovered that I have fans! I couldn't believe that people were showing me their projects (that I designed!) I had my picture taken, complete with 2 big zits which I had inadequeately disguised and met all sorts of people who recognized Loop and Dot which I wore, and they talked to me about my designs. What a buzz! So, please come join the Casapinka group. No trolls, no jerky buttheads, just color, fun projects, yarn discussions, KAL's and giveaways.

October 20, 2014

These are two of my favorite photos from Rhinebeck. The Miss Babs booth was so crowded and the line so long, I grabbed several skeins and decided to "shop" while in line. On top is Deep Sea Jellyfish and the very bottom is Perfectly Wreckless, which was used in the original Loop shawl, but I just couldn't pass it up, so great is the love.

And this handsome chap was in the back building awaiting his haircut. I would imagine he's looking forward to being able to acutally see again!

October 17, 2014

The sweater, below, started out a bit differently than it ended up. I don't even remember what sort of pattern I was originally knitting but I clearly changed it. I never actually wrote up the pattern, much as I like the cardigan. It's in an unusual color (Gilded, on Tosh Pashmina) but it's so pretty to have around. It serves as a neutral, meaning it goes with everything that I own. No surprise that I also call pink a neutral!

I'm off to Rhinebeck today with my good friend, Meg, where a weekend of yarn, sheep auctions and fellow fiberophiles (apologies, William Safir) awaits us. I think I'll pick up some more yarn to make this sweater again with the idea of actually publishing the design rather than making notes on Bubble Yum wrappers and stuffing them in my bedside table. So often my swatches end up being full garments and I need to do Round 2 to work out all the kinks.

October 16, 2014

Today is the perfect knitting day. It's raining and the fall colors are out and I'm working on my steeked coat design in Verdant Gryphon Purple Hibiscus on Traveller. I haven't been going to the studio to work since Junior is precarious on his crutches and I feel I should stay close to home. In reality, per reports from his school, he's doing the equivalent of donuts at the landfill while driving a Chevette. I keep expecting a call from school involving the word "faceplant."

Although our yard needs some TLC (Husband insists on doing everything himself which means it gets done, uh, on occasion) it looks so pretty with the bright red, undoubtedly poisonous, things growing on the wall. Perfect backdrop to working on an endless stockinette project. I just love endless stockinette, particularly on gorgeous yarn. If you've done one of my designs you know this! It simply means Junior can faceplant without me dropping any stitches or, worse yet, having to tink back 8 rows of lace while being called "Potty Mouth" by the same kids who got me into the forgotten yo lace predicament.

October 14, 2014

Angela, the owner of Indie yarn company LYDIA (an acronym for Luxury Yarns Dyed in America) gifted me some beautiful yarn at Stitches East last weekend. I really enjoyed meeting her, as well as Lynn, her associate, who happened to be knitting my Dot Shaw! I am in love with this color way called "Confetti." I'm making a Loop Hat here just to see what it looks like. I also made a Dot hat but it looked like I was preparing for electroconvulsive therapy which isn't generally the look I go for while waltzing through Target with Junior dragging his massive cast behind him.

October 09, 2014

It was very exciting to open up the Miss Babs newsletter this morning to read about their Rhinebeck booth and to see my Loop shawl right in front of me! I hd such a good time making it, watching the contrast skein of Perfectly Wreckless dole out its intense colors.

Loop has been done for a while but I had to get a new computer - and the new computer likes to turn "STS" into "STD" (great abbreviation to have in one's knitting patterns) and various other small nuisances, so it took a while to publish. Then Junior was using it as a cape for a while and when we were trying to photograph it, we got kicked off of a (non) private beach near our home! I kind of wondered if it was doomed but it looks like it's still kicking. It's knitted from the top down and the loop sts (STDs) are just slipped with k2togs. Yarn is carried up the side.

October 07, 2014

Right now I have this gorgeous Malabrigo Mecha on my needles. I'm trying to finish a pullover with lace arms on size 10 needles in time for Stitches East this weekend.

It was supposed to be a long cabled vest (last year) but I lost interest. I ended up frogging it last weekend, winding it into large skeins and washing out the kinks so it could be reworked. People don't have a true understanding of how much time goes into designing knitting patterns. Of the ones that do work, many have been pulled out and reknit mutliple times. Luckily, I think this sweater is going to be a good one - my 11 year old has already requested one for herself which is preferable to "Ew - who's going to wear THAT?"

October 06, 2014

I just put up a new pattern for sale, the Ranelagh Cowl. These cool crisp days remind me of the several years I lived in Ireland. I had some friends who lived in Ranelagh and I remember some cold days, visiting them after walking through wind and raindrops, burrowing down in my scarf.

Many of those days in Dublin I would have appreciated a snuggly cowl like this. It's unisex, reversible, and requires 2 skeins of Juniper Moon Moonshine or Cascade Eco Duo, or similar yarn. A good "first" colorwork pattern since only one color is carried at a time.